Asymmetric Hsp90 N domain SUMOylation recruits Aha1 and ATP-competitive inhibitors

Post-translational Regulation of FNIP1 Creates a Rheostat for the Molecular Chaperone Hsp90

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 stabilizes and activates client proteins. Co-chaperones and post-translational modifications tightly regulate Hsp90 function and consequently lead to activation of clients. However, it is unclear whether this process occurs abruptly or gradually in the cellular context. We show that casein kinase-2 phosphorylation of the co-chaperone folliculin-interacting protein 1 (FNIP1) on priming serine-938 and subsequent relay phosphorylation on serine-939, 941, 946, and 948 promotes its gradual interaction with Hsp90. This leads to incremental inhibition of Hsp90 ATPase activity and gradual activation of both kinase and non-kinase clients. We further demonstrate that serine/threonine protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) dephosphorylates FNIP1, allowing the addition of O-GlcNAc (O-linked N-acetylglucosamine) to the priming serine-938. This process antagonizes phosphorylation of FNIP1, preventing its interaction with Hsp90, and consequently promotes FNIP1 lysine-1119 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. These findings provide a mechanism for gradual activation of the client proteins through intricate crosstalk of post-translational modifications of the co-chaperone FNIP1.

Methods to validate Hsp90 inhibitor specificity, to identify off-target effects, and to rethink approaches for further clinical development

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is one component of a highly complex and interactive cellular proteostasis network (PN) that participates in protein folding, directs misfolded and damaged proteins for destruction, and participates in regulating cellular transcriptional responses to environmental stress, thus promoting cell and organismal survival. Over the last 20 years, it has become clear that various disease states, including cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and infection by diverse microbes, impact the PN. Among PN components, Hsp90 was among the first to be pharmacologically targeted with small molecules. While the number of Hsp90 inhibitors described in the literature has dramatically increased since the first such small molecule was described in 1994, it has become increasingly apparent that not all of these agents have been sufficiently validated for specificity, mechanism of action, and lack of off-target effects. Given the less than expected activity of Hsp90 inhibitors in cancer-related human clinical trials, a re-evaluation of potentially confounding off-target effects, as well as confidence in target specificity and mechanism of action, is warranted. In this commentary, we provide feasible approaches to achieve these goals and we discuss additional considerations to improve the clinical efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors in treating cancer and other diseases.

A switch point in the molecular chaperone Hsp90 responding to client interaction

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a dimeric molecular chaperone that undergoes large conformational changes during its functional cycle. It has been established that conformational switch points exist in the N-terminal (Hsp90-N) and C-terminal (Hsp90-C) domains of Hsp90, however information for switch points in the large middle-domain (Hsp90-M) is scarce. Here we report on a tryptophan residue in Hsp90-M as a new type of switch point. Our study shows that this conserved tryptophan senses the interaction of Hsp90 with a stringent client protein and transfers this information via a cation–π interaction with a neighboring lysine. Mutations at this position hamper the communication between domains and the ability of a client protein to affect the Hsp90 cycle. The residue thus allows Hsp90 to transmit information on the binding of a client from Hsp90-M to Hsp90-N which is important for progression of the conformational cycle and the efficient processing of client proteins.

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) chaperone undergoes large conformational changes during its functional cycle. Here the authors combine in vivo, biochemical, biophysical and computational approaches and provide insights into the allosteric regulation of Hsp90 by identifying and characterizing a switch point in the Hsp90 middle domain.

Regulation of the Hsp90 system

Hsp90 is a highly conserved and abundant chaperone. It participates in essential cellular activities by supporting the maturation process of its client proteins, many of which are protein kinases and steroid receptors. Client processing is achieved via extensive conformational changes within the dimeric chaperone. This requires an ATP hydrolysis activity that is controlled by auto-inhibitory mechanisms and several structurally diverse cofactors. Especially the client-specificity of Hsp90 depends on client-specific cofactors, which can adapt Hsp90's activities to the client requirements at different conditions and in different cell types. Additionally, post-translational modifications can influence almost every aspect of Hsp90's interactions and activities. In this review, we present these regulatory principles, discuss the factors that have an impact on Hsp90's function and elaborate the mechanisms that are responsible for regulating the Hsp90 machinery.

Detecting Posttranslational Modifications of Hsp90

The molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) is essential in eukaryotes. Hsp90 chaperones proteins that are important determinants of multistep carcinogenesis. The chaperone function of Hsp90 is linked to its ability to bind and hydrolyze ATP. Co-chaperones as well as posttranslational modifications (phosphorylation, SUMOylation, and ubiquitination) are important for its stability and regulation of the ATPase activity. Both mammalian and yeast cells can be used to express and purify Hsp90 and also detect its posttranslational modifications by immunoblotting.

Tumor suppressor Tsc1 is a new Hsp90 co-chaperone that facilitates folding of kinase and non-kinase clients

The tumor suppressors Tsc1 and Tsc2 form the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a regulator of mTOR activity. Tsc1 stabilizes Tsc2; however, the precise mechanism involved remains elusive. The molecular chaperone heat‐shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential component of the cellular homeostatic machinery in eukaryotes. Here, we show that Tsc1 is a new co‐chaperone for Hsp90 that inhibits its ATPase activity. The C‐terminal domain of Tsc1 (998–1,164 aa) forms a homodimer and binds to both protomers of the Hsp90 middle domain. This ensures inhibition of both subunits of the Hsp90 dimer and prevents the activating co‐chaperone Aha1 from binding the middle domain of Hsp90. Conversely, phosphorylation of Aha1‐Y223 increases its affinity for Hsp90 and displaces Tsc1, thereby providing a mechanism for equilibrium between binding of these two co‐chaperones to Hsp90. Our findings establish an active role for Tsc1 as a facilitator of Hsp90‐mediated folding of kinase and non‐kinase clients—including Tsc2—thereby preventing their ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.

Regulation of Cellular Processes by SUMO: Understudied Topics

SUMO plays a multiple role in maintenance of cellular homeostasis, both under normal conditions and under cell stress . Considerable effort has been devoted to unraveling the functions of SUMO in regulation of transcription and preservation of genome stability. However, it is clear from high-throughput SUMO proteome studies that SUMO likely regulates many more cellular processes. The function of SUMO in these processes has hardly been explored. This review will focus on the emerging function of SUMO in regulation of several of these processes.

Symmetry broken and rebroken during the ATP hydrolysis cycle of the mitochondrial Hsp90 TRAP1

Hsp90 is a homodimeric ATP-dependent molecular chaperone that remodels its substrate ‘client’ proteins, facilitating their folding and activating them for biological function. Despite decades of research, the mechanism connecting ATP hydrolysis and chaperone function remains elusive. Particularly puzzling has been the apparent lack of cooperativity in hydrolysis of the ATP in each protomer. A crystal structure of the mitochondrial Hsp90, TRAP1, revealed that the catalytically active state is closed in a highly strained asymmetric conformation. This asymmetry, unobserved in other Hsp90 homologs, is due to buckling of one of the protomers and is most pronounced at the broadly conserved client-binding region. Here, we show that rather than being cooperative or independent, ATP hydrolysis on the two protomers is sequential and deterministic. Moreover, dimer asymmetry sets up differential hydrolysis rates for each protomer, such that the buckled conformation favors ATP hydrolysis. Remarkably, after the first hydrolysis, the dimer undergoes a flip in the asymmetry while remaining in a closed state for the second hydrolysis. From these results, we propose a model where direct coupling of ATP hydrolysis and conformational flipping rearranges client-binding sites, providing a paradigm of how energy from ATP hydrolysis can be used for client remodeling.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25235.001

Mechanisms of Hsp90 regulation

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone that is involved in the activation of disparate client proteins. This implicates Hsp90 in diverse biological processes that require a variety of co-ordinated regulatory mechanisms to control its activity. Perhaps the most important regulator is heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), which is primarily responsible for upregulating Hsp90 by binding heat shock elements (HSEs) within Hsp90 promoters. HSF1 is itself subject to a variety of regulatory processes and can directly respond to stress. HSF1 also interacts with a variety of transcriptional factors that help integrate biological signals, which in turn regulate Hsp90 appropriately. Because of the diverse clientele of Hsp90 a whole variety of co-chaperones also regulate its activity and some are directly responsible for delivery of client protein. Consequently, co-chaperones themselves, like Hsp90, are also subject to regulatory mechanisms such as post translational modification. This review, looks at the many different levels by which Hsp90 activity is ultimately regulated.

An Hsp90 co-chaperone protein in yeast is functionally replaced by site-specific posttranslational modification in humans

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential eukaryotic molecular chaperone. To properly chaperone its clientele, Hsp90 proceeds through an ATP-dependent conformational cycle influenced by posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and assisted by a number of co-chaperone proteins. Although Hsp90 conformational changes in solution have been well-studied, regulation of these complex dynamics in cells remains unclear. Phosphorylation of human Hsp90α at the highly conserved tyrosine 627 has previously been reported to reduce client interaction and Aha1 binding. Here we report that these effects are due to a long-range conformational impact inhibiting Hsp90α N-domain dimerization and involving a region of the middle domain/carboxy-terminal domain interface previously suggested to be a substrate binding site. Although Y627 is not phosphorylated in yeast, we demonstrate that the non-conserved yeast co-chaperone, Hch1, similarly affects yeast Hsp90 (Hsp82) conformation and function, raising the possibility that appearance of this PTM in higher eukaryotes represents an evolutionary substitution for HCH1.

The HSP90 chaperone machinery

The heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) chaperone machinery is a key regulator of proteostasis under both physiological and stress conditions in eukaryotic cells. As HSP90 has several hundred protein substrates (or 'clients'), it is involved in many cellular processes beyond protein folding, which include DNA repair, development, the immune response and neurodegenerative disease. A large number of co-chaperones interact with HSP90 and regulate the ATPase-associated conformational changes of the HSP90 dimer that occur during the processing of clients. Recent progress has allowed the interactions of clients with HSP90 and its co-chaperones to be defined. Owing to the importance of HSP90 in the regulation of many cellular proteins, it has become a promising drug target for the treatment of several diseases, which include cancer and diseases associated with protein misfolding.

Molecular mechanism of bacterial Hsp90 pH-dependent ATPase activity

Hsp90 is a dimeric molecular chaperone that undergoes an essential and highly regulated open-to-closed-to-open conformational cycle upon ATP binding and hydrolysis. Although it has been established that a large energy barrier to closure is responsible for Hsp90's low ATP hydrolysis rate, the specific molecular contacts that create this energy barrier are not known. Here we discover that bacterial Hsp90 (HtpG) has a pH-dependent ATPase activity that is unique among other Hsp90 homologs. The underlying mechanism is a conformation-specific electrostatic interaction between a single histidine, H255, and bound ATP. H255 stabilizes ATP only while HtpG adopts a catalytically inactive open configuration, resulting in a striking anti-correlation between nucleotide binding affinity and chaperone activity over a wide range of pH. Linkage analysis reveals that the H255-ATP salt bridge contributes 1.5 kcal/mol to the energy barrier of closure. This energetic contribution is structurally asymmetric, whereby only one H255-ATP salt-bridge per dimer of HtpG controls ATPase activation. We find that a similar electrostatic mechanism regulates the ATPase of the endoplasmic reticulum Hsp90, and that pH-dependent activity can be engineered into eukaryotic cytosolic Hsp90. These results reveal site-specific energetic information about an evolutionarily conserved conformational landscape that controls Hsp90 ATPase activity.

Heat Shock Protein (HSP) Drug Discovery and Development: Targeting Heat Shock Proteins in Disease

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) present as a double edged sword. While they play an important role in maintaining protein homeostasis in a normal cell, cancer cells have evolved to co-opt HSP function to promote their own survival. As a result, HSPs such as HSP90 have attracted a great deal of interest as a potential anticancer target. These efforts have resulted in over 20 distinct compounds entering clinical evaluation for the treatment of cancer. However, despite the potent anticancer activity demonstrated in preclinical models, to date no HSP90 inhibitor has obtained regulatory approval. In this review we discuss the unique challenges faced in targeting HSPs that have likely contributed to their lack of progress in the clinic and suggest ways to overcome these so that the enormous potential of these compounds to benefit patients can finally be realized. We also provide a guideline for the future development of HSP-targeted agents based on the many lessons learned during the last two decades in developing HSP90 inhibitors.

Protein SUMOylation is Involved in Cell-cycle Progression and Cell Morphology in Giardia lamblia

The unicellular protozoa Giardia lamblia is a food- and waterborne parasite that causes giardiasis. This illness is manifested as acute and self-limited diarrhea and can evolve to long-term complications. Successful establishment of infection by Giardia trophozoites requires adhesion to host cells and colonization of the small intestine, where parasites multiply by mitotic division. The tight binding of trophozoites to host cells occurs by means of the ventral adhesive disc, a spiral array of microtubules and associated proteins such as giardins. In this work we show that knock down of the Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier (SUMO) results in less adhesive trophzoites, decreased cell proliferation and deep morphological alterations, including at the ventral disc. Consistent with the reduced proliferation, SUMO knocked-down trophozoites were arrested in G1 and in S phases of the cell cycle. Mass spectrometry analysis of anti-SUMO immunoprecipitates was performed to identify SUMO substrates possibly involved in these events. Among the identified SUMOylation targets, α-tubulin was further validated by Western blot and confirmed to be a SUMO target in Giardia trophozoites.

Extensive functional redundancy in the regulation of Candida albicans drug resistance and morphogenesis by lysine deacetylases Hos2, Hda1, Rpd3 and Rpd31

Current treatment efforts for fungal infections are hampered by the limited availability of antifungal drugs and by the emergence of drug resistance. A powerful strategy to enhance the efficacy of antifungal drugs is to inhibit the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Hsp90 governs drug resistance, morphogenesis and virulence in a leading fungal pathogen of humans, Candida albicans. Our previous work with Saccharomyces cerevisiae established acetylation as a novel mechanism of posttranslational control of Hsp90 function in fungi. We implicated lysine deacetylases (KDACs) as key regulators of resistance to the most widely deployed class of antifungals, the azoles, in both S. cerevisiae and C. albicans. Here, we demonstrate high levels of functional redundancy among the KDACs that are important for regulating Hsp90 function. We identify Hos2, Hda1, Rpd3 and Rpd31 as the KDACs mediating azole resistance and morphogenesis in C. albicans. Furthermore, we identify lysine 30 and 271 as critical acetylation sites on C. albicans Hsp90, and substitutions at these residues compromise Hsp90 function. Finally, we show that pharmacological inhibition of KDACs phenocopies pharmacological inhibition of Hsp90 and abrogates Hsp90-dependent azole resistance in numerous Candida species. This work illuminates new facets to the impact of KDACs on fungal drug resistance and morphogenesis, provides important insights into the divergence of the C. albicans Hsp90 regulatory network and reveals new targets for development of antifungal drugs.

Chemical Tools to Investigate Mechanisms Associated with HSP90 and HSP70 in Disease

The chaperome is a large and diverse protein machinery composed of chaperone proteins and a variety of helpers, such as the co-chaperones, folding enzymes, and scaffolding and adapter proteins. Heat shock protein 90s and 70s (HSP90s and HSP70s), the most abundant chaperome members in human cells, are also the most complex. As we have learned to appreciate, their functions are context dependent and manifested through a variety of conformations that each recruit a subset of co-chaperone, scaffolding, and folding proteins and which are further diversified by the posttranslational modifications each carry, making their study through classic genetic and biochemical techniques quite a challenge. Chemical biology tools and techniques have been developed over the years to help decipher the complexities of the HSPs and this review provides an overview of such efforts with focus on HSP90 and HSP70.

The Mechanism of Hsp90 ATPase Stimulation by Aha1

Hsp90 is a dimeric molecular chaperone responsible for the folding, maturation, and activation of hundreds of substrate proteins called ‘clients’. Numerous co-chaperone proteins regulate progression through the ATP-dependent client activation cycle. The most potent stimulator of the Hsp90 ATPase activity is the co-chaperone Aha1p. Only one molecule of Aha1p is required to fully stimulate the Hsp90 dimer despite the existence of two, presumably identical, binding sites for this regulator. Using ATPase assays with Hsp90 heterodimers, we find that Aha1p stimulates ATPase activity by a three-step mechanism via the catalytic loop in the middle domain of Hsp90. Binding of the Aha1p N domain to the Hsp90 middle domain exerts a small stimulatory effect but also drives a separate conformational rearrangement in the Hsp90 N domains. This second event drives a rearrangement in the N domain of the opposite subunit and is required for the stimulatory action of the Aha1p C domain. Furthermore, the second event can be blocked by a mutation in one subunit of the Hsp90 dimer but not the other. This work provides a foundation for understanding how post-translational modifications regulate co-chaperone engagement with the Hsp90 dimer.

Diverging Novobiocin Anti-Cancer Activity from Neuroprotective Activity through Modification of the Amide Tail

Novobiocin is a natural product that binds the Hsp90 C-terminus and manifests Hsp90 inhibitory activity. Structural investigations on novobiocin led to the development of both anti-cancer and neuroprotective agents. The varied pharmacological activity manifested by these novobiocin analogs prompted the investigation of structure-function studies to identify these contradictory effects, which revealed that modifications to the amide side chain produce either anti-cancer or neuroprotective activity. Compounds that exhibit neuroprotective activity contain a short alkyl or cycloalkyl amide side chain. In contrast, anti-cancer agents contain five or more carbons, disrupt interactions between Hsp90α and Aha1, and induce the degradation of Hsp90-dependent client proteins.

Targeting the Diabetic Chaperome to Improve Peripheral Neuropathy

The chaperome constitutes a broad family of molecular chaperones and co-chaperones that facilitate the folding, refolding, and degradation of the proteome. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) promotes the folding of numerous oncoproteins to aid survival of malignant phenotypes, and small molecule inhibitors of the Hsp90 chaperone complex offer a viable approach to treat certain cancers. One therapeutic attribute of this approach is the selectivity of these molecules to target high affinity oncogenic Hsp90 complexes present in tumor cells, which are absent in nontransformed cells. This selectivity has given rise to the idea that disease may contribute to forming a stress chaperome that is functionally distinct in its ability to interact with small molecule Hsp90 modulators. Consistent with this premise, modulating Hsp90 improves clinically relevant endpoints of diabetic peripheral neuropathy but has little impact in nondiabetic nerve. The concept of targeting the "diabetic chaperome" to treat diabetes and its complications is discussed.

Structural and functional basis of protein phosphatase 5 substrate specificity

The serine/threonine phosphatase protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) regulates hormone- and stress-induced cellular signaling by association with the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). PP5-mediated dephosphorylation of the cochaperone Cdc37 is essential for activation of Hsp90-dependent kinases. However, the details of this mechanism remain unknown. We determined the crystal structure of a Cdc37 phosphomimetic peptide bound to the catalytic domain of PP5. The structure reveals PP5 utilization of conserved elements of phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPP) structure to bind substrate and provides a template for many PPP-substrate interactions. Our data show that, despite a highly conserved structure, elements of substrate specificity are determined within the phosphatase catalytic domain itself. Structure-based mutations in vivo reveal that PP5-mediated dephosphorylation is required for kinase and steroid hormone receptor release from the chaperone complex. Finally, our data show that hyper- or hypoactivity of PP5 mutants increases Hsp90 binding to its inhibitor, suggesting a mechanism to enhance the efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors by regulation of PP5 activity in tumors.

The FNIP co-chaperones decelerate the Hsp90 chaperone cycle and enhance drug binding

Heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) is an essential molecular chaperone in eukaryotes involved in maintaining the stability and activity of numerous signalling proteins, also known as clients. Hsp90 ATPase activity is essential for its chaperone function and it is regulated by co-chaperones. Here we show that the tumour suppressor FLCN is an Hsp90 client protein and its binding partners FNIP1/FNIP2 function as co-chaperones. FNIPs decelerate the chaperone cycle, facilitating FLCN interaction with Hsp90, consequently ensuring FLCN stability. FNIPs compete with the activating co-chaperone Aha1 for binding to Hsp90, thereby providing a reciprocal regulatory mechanism for chaperoning of client proteins. Lastly, downregulation of FNIPs desensitizes cancer cells to Hsp90 inhibitors, whereas FNIPs overexpression in renal tumours compared with adjacent normal tissues correlates with enhanced binding of Hsp90 to its inhibitors. Our findings suggest that FNIPs expression can potentially serve as a predictive indicator of tumour response to Hsp90 inhibitors.

A Novel HSP90 Inhibitor-Drug Conjugate to SN38 Is Highly Effective in Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive disease representing 12% to 13% of total lung cancers, with median survival of <2 years. No targeted therapies have proven effective in SCLC. Although most patients respond initially to cytotoxic chemotherapies, resistance rapidly emerges, response to second-line agents is limited, and dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) are a major issue. This study performs preclinical evaluation of a new compound, STA-8666, in SCLC.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

To avoid DLT for useful cytotoxic agents, the recently developed drug STA-8666 combines a chemical moiety targeting active HSP90 (concentrated in tumors) fused via cleavable linker to SN38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. We compare potency and mechanism of action of STA-8666 and irinotecan in vitro and in vivo RESULTS: In two SCLC xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models, STA-8666 was tolerated without side effects up to 150 mg/kg. At this dose, STA-8666 controlled or eliminated established tumors whether used in a first-line setting or in tumors that had progressed following treatment on standard first- and second-line agents for SCLC. At 50 mg/kg, STA-8666 strongly enhanced the action of carboplatin. Pharmacokinetic profiling confirmed durable STA-8666 exposure in tumors compared with irinotecan. STA-8666 induced a more rapid, robust, and stable induction of cell-cycle arrest, expression of signaling proteins associated with DNA damage and cell-cycle checkpoints, and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, in comparison with irinotecan.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, these results strongly support clinical development of STA-8666 for use in the first- or second-line setting for SCLC. Clin Cancer Res; 22(20); 5120-9. ©2016 AACR.

The activity of the glucocorticoid receptor is regulated by SUMO conjugation to FKBP51

FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) regulates the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and is therefore a key mediator of the biological actions of glucocorticoids. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern its activity remains limited. Here, we uncover a novel regulatory switch for GR activity by the post-translational modification of FKBP51 with small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). The major SUMO-attachment site, lysine 422, is required for FKBP51-mediated inhibition of GR activity in hippocampal neuronal cells. Importantly, impairment of SUMO conjugation to FKBP51 impacts on GR-dependent neuronal signaling and differentiation. We demonstrate that SUMO conjugation to FKBP51 is enhanced by the E3 ligase PIAS4 and by environmental stresses such as heat shock, which impact on GR-dependent transcription. SUMO conjugation to FKBP51 regulates GR hormone-binding affinity and nuclear translocation by promoting FKBP51 interaction within the GR complex. SUMOylation-deficient FKBP51 fails to interact with Hsp90 and GR thus facilitating the recruitment of the closely related protein, FKBP52, which enhances GR transcriptional activity. Moreover, we show that the modification of FKBP51 with SUMO modulates its binding to Hsp90. Our data establish SUMO conjugation as a novel regulatory mechanism in the Hsp90 cochaperone activity of FKBP51 with a functional impact on GR signaling in a neuronal context.

A Remodeled Hsp90 Molecular Chaperone Ensemble with the Novel Cochaperone Aarsd1 Is Required for Muscle Differentiation

Hsp90 is the ATP-consuming core component of a very abundant molecular chaperone machine that handles a substantial portion of the cytosolic proteome. Rather than one machine, it is in fact an ensemble of molecular machines, since most mammalian cells express two cytosolic isoforms of Hsp90 and a subset of up to 40 to 50 cochaperones and regulate their interactions and functions by a variety of posttranslational modifications. We demonstrate that the Hsp90 ensemble is fundamentally remodeled during muscle differentiation and that this remodeling is not just a consequence of muscle differentiation but possibly one of the drivers to accompany and to match the vast proteomic changes associated with this process. As myoblasts differentiate into myotubes, Hsp90α disappears and only Hsp90β remains, which is the only isoform capable of interacting with the novel muscle-specific Hsp90 cochaperone Aarsd1L. Artificially maintaining Hsp90α or knocking down Aarsd1L expression interferes with the differentiation of C2C12 myotubes. During muscle differentiation, Aarsd1L replaces the more ubiquitous cochaperone p23 and in doing so dampens the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor, one of the Hsp90 clients relevant to muscle functions. This cochaperone switch protects muscle cells against the inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids and may contribute to preventing muscle wasting induced by excess glucocorticoids.

Heat Shock Proteins Promote Cancer: It's a Protection Racket

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are expressed at high levels in cancer and form a fostering environment that is essential for tumor development. Here, we review the recent data in this area, concentrating mainly on Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90. The overriding role of HSPs in cancer is to stabilize the active functions of overexpressed and mutated cancer genes. Thus, elevated HSPs are required for many of the traits that underlie the morbidity of cancer, including increased growth, survival, and formation of secondary cancers. In addition, HSPs participate in the evolution of cancer treatment resistance. HSPs are also released from cancer cells and influence malignant properties by receptor-mediated signaling. Current data strongly support efforts to target HSPs in cancer treatment.

The dynamic interactome of human Aha1 upon Y223 phosphorylation

Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential chaperone that supports the function of a wide range of signaling molecules. Hsp90 binds to a suite of co-chaperone proteins that regulate Hsp90 function through alteration of intrinsic ATPase activity. Several studies have determined Aha1 to be an important co-chaperone whose binding to Hsp90 is modulated by phosphorylation, acetylation and SUMOylation of Hsp90 [1], [2]. In this study, we applied quantitative affinity-purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) proteomics to understand how phosphorylation of hAha1 at Y223 altered global client/co-chaperone interaction [3]. Specifically, we characterized and compared the interactomes of Aha1–Y223F (phospho-mutant form) and Aha1–Y223E (phospho-mimic form). We identified 99 statistically significant interactors of hAha1, a high proportion of which (84%) demonstrated preferential binding to the phospho-mimic form of hAha1.

The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org) via the PRIDE partner repository [4] with the dataset identifier PXD001737.

Pharmacoproteomics identifies combinatorial therapy targets for diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Rationally designed combinations of targeted therapies for refractory cancers, such as activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL), are likely required to achieve potent, durable responses. Here, we used a pharmacoproteomics approach to map the interactome of a tumor-enriched isoform of HSP90 (teHSP90). Specifically, we chemically precipitated teHSP90-client complexes from DLBCL cell lines with the small molecule PU-H71 and found that components of the proximal B cell receptor (BCR) signalosome were enriched within teHSP90 complexes. Functional assays revealed that teHSP90 facilitates BCR signaling dynamics by enabling phosphorylation of key BCR signalosome components, including the kinases SYK and BTK. Consequently, treatment of BCR-dependent ABC DLBCL cells with PU-H71 attenuated BCR signaling, calcium flux, and NF-κB signaling, ultimately leading to growth arrest. Combined exposure of ABC DLBCL cell lines to PU-H71 and ibrutinib, a BCR pathway inhibitor, more potently suppressed BCR signaling than either drug alone. Correspondingly, PU-H71 combined with ibrutinib induced synergistic killing of lymphoma cell lines, primary human lymphoma specimens ex vivo, and lymphoma xenografts in vivo, without notable toxicity. Together, our results demonstrate that a pharmacoproteome-driven rational combination therapy has potential to provide more potent BCR-directed therapy for ABC DLCBL patients.

Impact of Posttranslational Modifications on the Anticancer Activity of Hsp90 Inhibitors

Molecular chaperones are essential for guarding proteins that are indispensable for normal cellular functions. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a vital molecular chaperone in eukaryotes that participates in stabilizing and activating approximately 200 target proteins, called "clients," many of which are involved in signal transduction pathways. Cancer cells however utilize Hsp90 to chaperone an array of mutated and overexpressed oncoproteins to protect them from misfolding and degradation. Therefore, Hsp90 is an attractive target in cancer therapy. Hsp90 chaperone function relies on ATP binding and hydrolysis, which in turn guides its carefully orchestrated conformational changes. This chaperone cycle is fine-tuned by another group of proteins called co-chaperones. They are able to accelerate or decelerate the cycle, allowing Hsp90 to chaperone different clients. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) can also regulate the chaperone cycle at an epigenetic level thereby tailoring Hsp90 function to suit a specific cell type or environmental condition. Recent evidence suggests that inhibition of the enzymes that catalyze the PTM of Hsp90 can act synergistically with Hsp90 inhibitors, providing a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors in cancer cells.

Hsp90 in Cancer: Transcriptional Roles in the Nucleus

Hsp90 plays a key role in fostering metabolic pathways essential in tumorigenesis through its functions as a molecular chaperone. Multiple oncogenic factors in the membrane and cytoplasm are thus protected from degradation and destruction. Here, we have considered Hsp90's role in transcription in the nucleus. Hsp90 functions both in regulating the activity of sequence-specific transcription factors such as nuclear receptors and HSF1, as well as impacting more globally acting factors that act on chromatin and RNA polymerase II. Hsp90 influences transcription by modulating histone modification mediated by its clients SMYD3 and trithorax/MLL, as well as by regulating the processivity of RNA polymerase II through negative elongation factor. It is not currently clear how the transcriptional role of Hsp90 may be influenced by the cancer milieu although recently discovered posttranslational modification of the chaperone may be involved. Dysregulation of Hsp90 may thus influence malignant processes both by modulating the function of specific transcription factors and effects on more globally acting general components of the transcriptional machinery.

Activation of Hsp90 Enzymatic Activity and Conformational Dynamics through Rationally Designed Allosteric Ligands

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone of pivotal importance for multiple cell pathways. ATP-regulated internal dynamics are critical for its function and current pharmacological approaches block the chaperone with ATP-competitive inhibitors. Herein, a general approach to perturb Hsp90 through design of new allosteric ligands aimed at modulating its functional dynamics is proposed. Based on the characterization of a first set of 2-phenylbenzofurans showing stimulatory effects on Hsp90 ATPase and conformational dynamics, new ligands were developed that activate Hsp90 by targeting an allosteric site, located 65 Å from the active site. Specifically, analysis of protein responses to first-generation activators was exploited to guide the design of novel derivatives with improved ability to stimulate ATP hydrolysis. The molecules' effects on Hsp90 enzymatic, conformational, co-chaperone and client-binding properties were characterized through biochemical, biophysical and cellular approaches. These designed probes act as allosteric activators of the chaperone and affect the viability of cancer cell lines for which proper functioning of Hsp90 is necessary.

c-Abl Mediated Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Aha1 Activates Its Co-chaperone Function in Cancer Cells

The ability of Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) to hydrolyze ATP is essential for its chaperone function. The co-chaperone Aha1 stimulates Hsp90 ATPase activity, tailoring the chaperone function to specific "client" proteins. The intracellular signaling mechanisms directly regulating Aha1 association with Hsp90 remain unknown. Here, we show that c-Abl kinase phosphorylates Y223 in human Aha1 (hAha1), promoting its interaction with Hsp90. This, consequently, results in an increased Hsp90 ATPase activity, enhances Hsp90 interaction with kinase clients, and compromises the chaperoning of non-kinase clients such as glucocorticoid receptor and CFTR. Suggesting a regulatory paradigm, we also find that Y223 phosphorylation leads to ubiquitination and degradation of hAha1 in the proteasome. Finally, pharmacologic inhibition of c-Abl prevents hAha1 interaction with Hsp90, thereby hypersensitizing cancer cells to Hsp90 inhibitors both in vitro and ex vivo.

Direct and/or Indirect Roles for SUMO in Modulating Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity

α-Synuclein inclusion bodies are a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, and contain aggregated α-synuclein and a variety of recruited factors, including protein chaperones, proteasome components, ubiquitin and the small ubiquitin-like modifier, SUMO-1. Cell culture and animal model studies suggest that misfolded, aggregated α-synuclein is actively translocated via the cytoskeletal system to a region of the cell where other factors that help to lessen the toxic effects can also be recruited. SUMO-1 covalently conjugates to various intracellular target proteins in a way analogous to ubiquitination to alter cellular distribution, function and metabolism and also plays an important role in a growing list of cellular pathways, including exosome secretion and apoptosis. Furthermore, SUMO-1 modified proteins have recently been linked to cell stress responses, such as oxidative stress response and heat shock response, with increased SUMOylation being neuroprotective in some cases. Several recent studies have linked SUMOylation to the ubiquitin-proteasome system, while other evidence implicates the lysosomal pathway. Other reports depict a direct mechanism whereby sumoylation reduced the aggregation tendency of α-synuclein, and reduced the toxicity. However, the precise role of SUMO-1 in neurodegeneration remains unclear. In this review, we explore the potential direct or indirect role(s) of SUMO-1 in the cellular response to misfolded α-synuclein in neurodegenerative disorders.

Alternative approaches to Hsp90 modulation for the treatment of cancer

Hsp90 is responsible for the conformational maturation of newly synthesized polypeptides (client proteins) and the re-maturation of denatured proteins via the Hsp90 chaperone cycle. Inhibition of the Hsp90 N-terminus has emerged as a clinically relevant strategy for anticancer chemotherapeutics due to the involvement of clients in a variety of oncogenic pathways. Several immunophilins, co-chaperones and partner proteins are also necessary for Hsp90 chaperoning activity. Alternative strategies to inhibit Hsp90 function include disruption of the C-terminal dimerization domain and the Hsp90 heteroprotein complex. C-terminal inhibitors and Hsp90 co-chaperone disruptors prevent cancer cell proliferation similar to N-terminal inhibitors and destabilize client proteins without induction of heat shock proteins. Herein, current Hsp90 inhibitors, the chaperone cycle, and regulation of this cycle will be discussed.

Hsp90: breaking the symmetry

Hsp90 chaperones receive much attention due to their role in cancer and other pathological conditions, and a tremendous effort of many laboratories has contributed in the past decades to considerable progress in the understanding of their functions. Hsp90 chaperones exist as dimers and, with the help of cochaperones, promote the folding of numerous client proteins. Although the original view of these interactions suggested that these dimeric complexes were symmetrical, it is now clear that many features are asymmetrical. In this review we discuss several recent advances that highlight how asymmetric interactions with cochaperones as well as asymmetric posttranslational modifications provide mechanisms to regulate client interactions and the progression through Hsp90's chaperone cycle.

Targeting Heat-Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) as a Complementary Strategy to Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Therapy

The demonstration that immune checkpoint blockade can meaningfully improve outcomes for cancer patients has revolutionized the field of immuno-oncology. New biologic agents targeting specific checkpoints have shown remarkable durability in terms of patient response and, importantly, exhibit clinical activity across a range of human malignancies, including many that have traditionally proven refractory to other immunotherapies. In this rapidly evolving area, a key consideration relates to the identification of novel combinatorial strategies that exploit existing or investigational cancer therapies in order to optimize patient outcomes and the proportion of individuals able to derive benefit from this approach. In this regard, heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) represents an important emerging target for cancer therapy because its inactivation results in the simultaneous blockade of multiple signaling pathways and can sensitize tumor cells to other anticancer agents. Within the context of immunology, HSP90 plays a dual regulatory role, with its functional inhibition resulting in both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory effects. In this Cancer Immunology at the Crossroads overview, the anticancer activity profile of targeted HSP90 inhibitors is discussed along with their paradoxical roles in immunology. Overall, we explore the rationale for combining the modalities of HSP90 inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade in order to augment the antitumor immune response in cancer.

Structure-activity relationship in a purine-scaffold compound series with selectivity for the endoplasmic reticulum Hsp90 paralog Grp94

Grp94 is involved in the regulation of a restricted number of proteins and represents a potential target in a host of diseases, including cancer, septic shock, autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions, diabetes, coronary thrombosis, and stroke. We have recently identified a novel allosteric pocket located in the Grp94 N-terminal binding site that can be used to design ligands with a 2-log selectivity over the other Hsp90 paralogs. Here we perform extensive SAR investigations in this ligand series and rationalize the affinity and paralog selectivity of choice derivatives by molecular modeling. We then use this to design 18c, a derivative with good potency for Grp94 (IC50 = 0.22 μM) and selectivity over other paralogs (>100- and 33-fold for Hsp90α/β and Trap-1, respectively). The paralog selectivity and target-mediated activity of 18c was confirmed in cells through several functional readouts. Compound 18c was also inert when tested against a large panel of kinases. We show that 18c has biological activity in several cellular models of inflammation and cancer and also present here for the first time the in vivo profile of a Grp94 inhibitor.

Targeting Hsp90 in urothelial carcinoma

Urothelial carcinoma, or transitional cell carcinoma, is the most common urologic malignancy that carries significant morbidity, mortality, recurrence risk and associated health care costs. Despite use of current chemotherapies and immunotherapies, long-term remission in patients with muscle-invasive or metastatic disease remains low, and disease recurrence is common. The molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein-90 (Hsp90) may offer an ideal treatment target, as it is a critical signaling hub in urothelial carcinoma pathogenesis and potentiates chemoradiation. Preclinical testing with Hsp90 inhibitors has demonstrated reduced proliferation, enhanced apoptosis and synergism with chemotherapies and radiation. Despite promising preclinical data, clinical trials utilizing Hsp90 inhibitors for other malignancies had modest efficacy. Therefore, we propose that Hsp90 inhibition would best serve as an adjuvant treatment in advanced muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancers to potentiate other therapies. An overview of bladder cancer biology, current treatments, molecular targeted therapies, and the role for Hsp90 inhibitors in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma is the focus of this review.

Mechanistic Asymmetry in Hsp90 Dimers

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone that facilitates the maturation of signaling proteins including many kinases and steroid hormone receptors. Through these client proteins, Hsp90 is a key mediator of many physiological processes and has emerged as a promising drug target in cancer. Additionally, Hsp90 can mask or potentiate the impact of mutations in clients with remarkable influence on evolutionary adaptations. The influential roles of Hsp90 in biology and disease have stimulated extensive research into the molecular mechanism of this chaperone. These studies have shown that Hsp90 is a homodimeric protein that requires ATP hydrolysis and a host of accessory proteins termed co-chaperones to facilitate the maturation of clients to their active states. Flexible hinge regions between its three structured domains enable Hsp90 to sample dramatically distinct conformations that are influenced by nucleotide, client, and co-chaperone binding. While it is clear that Hsp90 can exist in symmetrical conformations, recent studies have indicated that this homodimeric chaperone can also assume a variety of asymmetric conformations and complexes that are important for client maturation. The visualization of Hsp90-client complexes at high resolution together with tools to independently manipulate each subunit in the Hsp90 dimer are providing new insights into the asymmetric function of each subunit during client maturation.

Hsp90 C-terminal inhibitors exhibit antimigratory activity by disrupting the Hsp90α/Aha1 complex in PC3-MM2 cells

Human Hsp90 isoforms are molecular chaperones that are often up-regulated in malignances and represent a primary target for Hsp90 inhibitors undergoing clinical evaluation. Hsp90α is a stress-inducible isoform of Hsp90 that plays a significant role in apoptosis and metastasis. Though Hsp90α is secreted into the extracellular space under metastatic conditions, its role in cancer biology is poorly understood. We report that Hsp90α associates with the Aha1 co-chaperone and found this complex to localize in secretory vesicles and at the leading edge of migrating cells. Knockdown of Hsp90α resulted in a defect in cell migration. The functional role of Hsp90α/Aha1 was studied by treating the cells with various novobiocin-based Hsp90 C-terminal inhibitors. These inhibitors disrupted the Hsp90α/Aha1 complex, caused a cytoplasmic redistribution of Hsp90α and Aha1, and decreased cell migration. Structure–function studies determined that disruption of Hsp90α/Aha1 association and inhibition of cell migration correlated with the presence of a benzamide side chain, since an acetamide substituted analog was less effective. Our results show that disruption of Hsp90α/Aha1 interactions with novobiocin-based Hsp90 C-terminal inhibitors may limit the metastatic potential of tumors.

p23 and Aha1

Hsp90 is a conserved molecular chaperone and is responsible for the folding and activation of several hundred client proteins, involved in various cellular processes. The large number and the diversity of these client proteins demand a high adaptiveness of Hsp90 towards the need of the individual client. This adaptiveness is amongst others mediated by more than 20 so-called cochaperones that differ in their actions towards Hsp90. Some of these cochaperones are able to modulate the ATPase activity of Hsp90 and/or its client protein binding, folding and activation. p23 and Aha1 are two prominent examples with opposing effects on the ATPase activity of Hsp90. p23 is able to inhibit the ATP turnover while Aha1 is the strongest known activator of the ATPase activity of Hsp90. Even though both cochaperones are conserved from yeast to man and have been studied for years, some Hsp90-related as well as Hsp90-independent functions are still enigmatic and under current investigation. In this chapter, we first introduce the ATPase cycle of Hsp90 and then focus on the two cochaperones integrating them in the Hsp90 cycle.

Sumoylated HSP90 is a dominantly inherited plasma cell dyscrasias risk factor

Posttranslationally modified proteins serve as autoimmunogenic targets in a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. Here, we identified a posttranslationally modified paraprotein target (paratargs) in monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS), multiple myelomas (MM), and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemias (WM) using protein macroarrays that were sumoylated and screened for reactivity with paraproteins from MGUS, MM, and WM patients. We found that paraproteins from a proportion of European, African-American, and Japanese patients specifically reacted with the sumoylated heat-shock protein 90 β isoform-α (HSP90-SUMO1, where SUMO indicates small ubiquitin-like modifier), while no reactivity with HSP90-SUMO1 was detected in over 800 controls. HSP90-SUMO1 was present in blood cells from all patients with HSP90-SUMO1-binding paraproteins. We determined that the HSP90-SUMO1 carrier state is autosomal-dominantly inherited and caused by the inability of SUMO peptidase sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 2 (SENP2) to desumoylate HSP90-SUMO1. HSP90-SUMO1 was detected in a small percentage of healthy individuals from all backgrounds; however, only MGUS, MM, and WM patients who were HSP90-SUMO1 carriers produced HSP90-SUMO1-specific paraproteins, suggesting that sumoylated HSP90 promotes pathogenesis of these diseases through chronic antigenic stimulation. This study demonstrates that harboring HSP90-SUMO1 identifies healthy individuals at risk for plasma cell dyscrasias and that dominant inheritance of posttranslationally modified autoantigenic paratargs is one of the strongest molecular defined risk factors for MGUS, MM, and WM.

Middle domain of human Hsp90 isoforms differentially binds Aha1 in human cells and alters Hsp90 activity in yeast

Hsp90 is an essential chaperone for more than 200 client proteins in eukaryotic cells. The human genome encodes two highly similar cytosolic Hsp90 proteins called Hsp90α and Hsp90β. Most of the client proteins can interact with either Hsp90 protein; however, only a handful client proteins and one co-chaperone that interact specifically with one of the Hsp90 isoforms were identified. Structural differences underlying these isoform-specific interactions were not studied. Here we report for the first time that the Hsp90 co-chaperone Aha1 interacts preferentially with Hsp90α. The distinction depends on the middle domain of Hsp90. The middle domain of Hsp90α is also responsible for the slow growth phenotype of yeasts that express this isoform as a sole source of Hsp90. These results suggest that differences in the middle domain of Hsp90α and Hsp90β may be responsible for the isoform-specific interactions with selected proteins. Also shown here within, we determine that preferential chaperoning of cIAP1 by Hsp90β is mediated by the N-terminal domain of this isoform.

Aha1 can act as an autonomous chaperone to prevent aggregation of stressed proteins

Aha1 (activator of Hsp90 ATPase) stimulates the ATPase activity of the molecular chaperone Hsp90 to accelerate the conformational cycle during which client proteins attain their final shape. Thereby, Aha1 promotes effective folding of Hsp90-dependent clients such as steroid receptors and many kinases involved in cellular signaling. In our current study, we find that Aha1 plays a novel, additional role beyond regulating the Hsp90 ATP hydrolysis rate. We propose a new concept suggesting that Aha1 acts as an autonomous chaperone and associates with stress-denatured proteins to prevent them from aggregation similar to the chaperonin GroEL. Our study reveals that an N-terminal sequence of 22 amino acids, present in human but absent from yeast Aha1, is critical for this capability. However, in lieu of fostering their refolding, Aha1 allows ubiquitination of bound clients by the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP. Accordingly, Aha1 may promote disposal of folding defective proteins by the cellular protein quality control.

Selective targeting of the stress chaperome as a therapeutic strategy

Normal cellular function is maintained by coordinated proteome machinery that performs a vast array of activities. Helping the proteome in such roles is the chaperome, a network of molecular chaperones and folding enzymes. The stressed cell contains, at any time, a complex mixture of chaperome complexes; a majority performs 'housekeeping functions' similarly to non-stressed, normal cells, but a finely-tuned fraction buffers the proteome altered by chronic stress. The stress chaperome is epigenetically distinct from its normal, housekeeping counterpart, providing a basis for its selective targeting by small molecules. We discuss here the development of chaperome inhibitors, and how agents targeting chaperome members in stressed cells are in fact being directed towards chaperome complexes, and their effect is therefore determined by their ability to sample and engage such complexes. A new approach is needed to target and implement chaperome modulators in the investigation of diseases, and we propose that the classical thinking in drug discovery needs adjustment when developing chaperome-targeting drugs.

Four-colour FRET reveals directionality in the Hsp90 multicomponent machinery

In living organisms, most proteins work in complexes to form multicomponent protein machines. The function of such multicomponent machines is usually addressed by dividing them into a collection of two state systems at equilibrium. Many molecular machines, like Hsp90, work far from equilibrium by utilizing the energy of ATP hydrolysis. In these cases, important information is gained from the observation of the succession of more than two states in a row. We developed a four-colour single-molecule FRET system to observe the succession of states in the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) system, consisting of an Hsp90 dimer, the cochaperone p23 and nucleotides. We show that this multicomponent system is a directional ATP-dependent machinery. This reveals a previously undescribed mechanism on how cochaperones can modify Hsp90, namely by strengthening of the coupling between ATP hydrolysis and a kinetic step involved in the Hsp90 system resulting in a stronger directionality.